


The Many Quirks of Dungeon Delvery

by PsychicBeagle



Category: Etrian Odyssey Series, 新・世界樹の迷宮 ミレニアムの少女 | Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl
Genre: Classic Mode, Creatively Crude, Expansion on Game's Plot, Some cute, Some funny, Team-to-Family, lots of puns, puns, some sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-05 00:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14605419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychicBeagle/pseuds/PsychicBeagle
Summary: A Ronin and a Survivalist walk into the woods. There they meet a Hexer, and that's when the fun starts. A team can grind gears sometimes, drive each other batty, but at the end of the day, they can make it through stronger than ever.





	1. Forest Fallout

            Grass crunched beneath boot and sandal. The path stretched on in seeming infinitum, twisting and coiling as befitting the title of Labyrinth. Beyond the lush tree line on each side, the rustling and scratching of beasts was as constant as the rising Sun. The man watched his party’s surroundings diligently, an arrow moments from being nocked as soon as his cerulean spheres met any unwanted disturbance. Even with the ever present threat of attack, however, he maintained an unwavering grin.

            “How’s that map coming along, Keeps?”

            “Quite well, I would presume. You have my thanks in that regard. One balks at the thought of having to attend to topography and defense at once.” His companion’s stance was more maintained, lacking the slouch that marked his nonchalance, but she still carried an air of calm. He wasn’t used to being able to see her ears from the back, usually covered by straight, deep blue hair, but now she carried it in a carefully assembled tie. She could hardly afford to have her own hair in her eyes or, worse, passing over and smearing the ink with which she wrote.

            “There’s a good reason those Radha Hall guys don’t let folks wander in as lone wolves. Charge in itching for a fight, you’ll get lost. Focus on making a map, you’ll get jumped and eaten by a rat or something.”

            “Indeed. The burden carried by one is less troublesome when shared by two. And I am blessed to have such an attentive companion in my duties.” She pulled herself from her work for a moment, looking back and casting him an appreciative smile. “However, one could do with a touch more discipline. For instance, would it truly be so difficult to muster the second syllable of my name, Pierce?” He rolled his eyes, pushing his pointed cap down to keep the sun out of them.

            “We can’t both be sticklers for manners. Wouldn’t that throw off the whole balance thing the Ronin strive for?”

            “As I have explained before…” He sighed, smiling despite knowing the ear chewing he was about to get inside and out. “…Balance applies only to the flow of life and its energies, not decorum.”

            “Great, so I’m not offending your values by calling you Keeps.” She sighed in turn, she, too, smiling from the familiar exchange.

            “Nay, only my sense of formality.” She resumed her map making, shaking her head in amusement. “You are truly an individual all your own.”

            “You know you love me.”

            “As a child cherishes their pet dog.”

            “Ouch, never gets less thorny. But hey, that’s why I…” He stopped in his tracks, ears perked. She stopped shortly after, listening intently as well, though she lacked the range and accuracy necessary to hear to the same degree.

            “Is there an incoming ambush?” She hurriedly blew the ink dry, rolling the map and hooking it to her belt so she could reach for her hilt.

            “I don’t think so, unless the creatures on this floor take to copying a kid’s crying.” He swiveled in a circle, stopping when he faced just right of the trail. “Yeah, definitely a kid. Don’t hear anything with them, though, so they aren’t under attack.”

            “Still, it would not do to leave a defenseless child in this place.”

            “You say that like I wasn’t about to run off to find them.” They needed no further signal, straying from the beaten path into the thick, unkept wilderness. Pierce swiftly took to the trees, his footing certain as he passed from branch to branch. Keeps stuck to the ground, her forward momentum carrying her cleanly through even the thickest shrubbery.

            It wasn’t long before she heard the noise, too. It was that of a deeply upset child, the pitch leaning feminine, though that was of little meaning to the exceptionally youthful. She followed Pierce’s signals as he traversed overhead, trusting him to mark the most efficient, least precarious trail. He came to a stop in the first large branching point of a tree, and as she neared, she heard why.

            “…where are you, where did you go, please help me…” The voice was shaky, marred by the rises and falls of a panic-stricken heart. Following the sound, Keeps found herself in front of a large bush. She parted its branches, and once light made its way between the leaves, a sharp gasp rang out.

            Curled up in the shaded heart of the shrub was a small girl, perhaps three feet in height when standing. Most of her form was hidden by a tattered, yet still concealing black robe whose hood reached over her and drooped down to her forehead. Her hair spilled from the front in large, unmanaged curls, the lavender locks gleaming white in the sun. Her skin was a sickly pale, only broken by rings of deep black around her shrunken, iris-free eyes. Tears filled the divot beneath the ducts and clung to her face as they flowed, though, strangely, no moisture marks were apparent on her clothes. She shriveled into herself, trying to escape the prying gaze suddenly thrust upon her.

            “Please, be calm. We mean no harm, young one.” Keeps offered a hand, mindful to not intrude upon the sanctuary of the bush. Long, tense moments passed, the girl’s eyes flickering from Keeps to her hand to the blade sheathed at her side. Seeing no alternatives, the girl tentatively reached out, her fingers thin and spindly. When she finally made contact, Keeps was taken back by the chill in her touch. She gently wrapped her fingers around the child’s hand, easing her up and out of her leafy hiding place. The tension quickly drained from her body, the younger girl looking at the elder in surprise.

            “You’re warm…” She quickly took Keeps’ other hand, trying to maximize contact with each. “I thought only brother could be this warm.”

            “Is that who you were asking for, kid?” Her heart jumped to her throat for a moment, not noticing Pierce until he spoke up. When she saw him, though, she returned to calm, the corners of her mouth turning up.

            “And you smile like him.” She huddled closer to Keeps, pressing herself against her to relish the heat. “Are you good people, miss? Mister?”

            “Yes, I would say I am.” She lowered herself to her knees to look the smaller girl in the eye. “My name is Keeper, and that is my partner, Pierce. He heard you crying, and it was almost second nature to seek you out.” She took hold of her own white sleeve and dabbed away the tears from the child’s face. “May I ask what you are doing alone in the Yggdrasil Labyrinth? What you said before implies you were accompanied by someone.”

            “Mmhm.” She nuzzled into Keeper’s touch, the cold revealed to not be relegated to her limbs alone. “I was with my brother, Echo, but we were being followed, and he told me to hide in the bushes. It happens a lot, but this time, he was away longer than usual. I got scared, and I’m still scared. What if he’s not coming back? What if he’s…?”

            “Calm down there, tot.” Pierce descended from his perch with one smooth hop. He started fishing around in his waist pack as he spoke. “I didn’t see or smell any signs of a lethal fight. If he is in trouble, nothing’s happened yet, assuming he didn’t get too far. Ah, here we go.” He pulled out a short stick, the tip coated in a purple ball of hard candy. “We’ll help you look for him, too, so relax. Some sugar should help with that.” Curious, she accepted the gift, and, after he mimed what to do, she gave it a tentative lick. Her modest smile soon lit up her face.

            “It tastes like berries!” She stuffed the rest into her mouth and started to suck contentedly, closing her eyes to better appreciate the flavor. Keeper and Pierce shared a thoughtful look. Much of the girl’s behavior suggested isolation and distrust. Who was she, and, furthermore, how had she entered the Labyrinth while being so reclusive? The lollipop fit nicely in her cheek, and she returned her attention to her saviors. “Why are you being so nice to me?”

            “As a general rule of conduct, most would lean towards kindness in regards to a child.” Keeper’s eyes imperceptibly narrowed as the girl’s grew skeptical. “Furthermore, our home preaches of paying kindness unto others. It would be an affront to our spiritual values to allow you or your brother to suffer when we are able to assist.”

            “In other words, we’re softies who don’t like it when little girls cry.” Pierce helped Keeper back to her feet, though she kept hold of the girl’s hand. “So chin up, little miss. You and your brother'll be back together before you know it. Do you remember which way he went?” The girl’s expression was unreadable, plain, but eventually, she pointed off into the woods.

            “He went that way first, but he turned and went off to the right… I think thirty steps later? I’m sorry, it’s hard to tell with him being chased…”

            “No problem at all. I’ll just keep an eye out for signs of him as we go. So, North thirty long paces, then East. Child’s play. Uh, no joke intended, kid.” She giggled into the collar of her robe, rolling the lollipop to the other side of her mouth.

            “Kia.”

            “Pardon?”

            “My name. Kia.” Keeper and Pierce shared another look, this one hopeful. Keeper kneeled down once more, pulling her onto her shoulders.

            “Then let us be off, Kia. Point if you see any clear signs of Echo that we would not recognize.” Amazement overtook her, and she smiled wide.

            “Yes, Miss Keeper!”

 

-

 

            It didn’t take Pierce long to pick up the trail. A set of footprints dug deep into the ground, turning East twenty six paces from the bush. It was a match for Kia’s description, and the contour of the prints matched those of someone running, but there was something odd. If he was being chased, why was there only one set of prints? There were no signs of anything having traveled by tree, nor was there evidence of an avian or insectile pursuer that could have followed midair. Everything he knew about tracking said this was wrong, and yet Keeper hadn’t showed any indication that Kia was being dishonest. Something was fishy.

            “Kia, did you happen to see what was on his tail?”

            “Not clearly. I think it was wearing black, and it made a cracking sound.” Wearing black? No beast he knew of wore anything. If she meant its fur was black, there was a chance it was one of the large wolves he read about, but if that was the case, it would be a number of floors above their usual den. Was the population spreading? “Wait, look!”

            Kia jumped off of Keeper’s shoulders, running to a pair of small trees bordering the tracks. Their branches were harshly ripped away at the ends, and what remained were bent inward at an angle no plant would grow naturally.

            “He was here!”

            “You sure about that?” Pierce examined them closer, and to his shock, specks of blood dotted the leaves. It wasn’t a large amount, and none accompanied the tracks as best he could see, but it made clear that the odd plant growth was an active attack. “What could've made these…”

            “Kia, wait!” Pierce was pulled from his thoughts by Keeper breaking into a run, following Kia as she sprinted off. Pierce quickly followed, unwilling to let either of them loose without long range support. As he traced their movements, he noticed how Kia knew where to go. She followed a trail of warped plant life, as though it was a track she was familiar with. The footprints grew staggered near each plant, as though the attacker wasn’t a physical beast so much as the forest itself. Soon, he started to hear something, someone talking.

            “Enough strumming out of you, lute boy!” A sharp snap reverberated through the woods, the twang of an instrument’s last breath. “Now start talking, where’d you hide her?” It was a female voice, tinted by cockiness and wrath. Pierce pushed his speed as high as it could go, outpacing both Keeper and Kia once he climbed to the treetops. From that vantage, he saw a clearing in the distance, and he quickly identified it as the source of the commotion.

            On the last set of branches, he launched himself upwards, sailing two trees’ heights above the ground as he nocked an arrow. Below, he saw two human figures, one thrown to the ground as the other harshly planted a foot into their chest. It didn’t take long to identify the prone one as male and the one over him as female. He took aim and leased his shot, the arrow flying for the aggressor’s other ankle.

            At the last moment, her ears twitched, and she jumped aside, letting the attack dig harmlessly into the ground. When she turned up to see her attacker, Pierce couldn’t help but notice the lacking attire she wore. It seemed to be little more than tight leather pants and a corset slightly parted in the center, highlighting with constrictive design what it didn’t outright show from lacking material. Combining it with the whip she had bound the male with brought forth memories of licentious caravans that stopped at the temple only long enough to resupply. He landed with a duck and roll, a second arrow already drawn by the time he came to a crouching stop.

            “Back away from the gentleman, or I’ll show you exactly why you need more armor than that.”

            “Damnit, this wasn’t part of the contract.” She glared down at her captive, brushing bright yellow hair from her eyes. “You sent the little monster off to get backup, didn’t you? Couldn’t just take your lashing like a man!” She yanked on the hilt of her whip, tightening the bind around him and crushing the air harshly from his lungs.

            “Enough of this, shameless one.” Keeper broke through the tree line, blade drawn. The katana glimmered with a blue light, one that she felt in every breath. “Release him, lest your body be returned to the cycle.”

            “And a preaching, to boot. I don’t have time to listen to you prattle on.” She reached behind her back, drawing a dagger with her off hand. “Take another step closer, and I put this in his neck. You wouldn’t want that blood on your hands, would you?” Pierce raised his bow, fingertips buzzing with intent.

            “You can’t strike faster than my arrows.”

            “Try me.”

            “Brother Echo!” Just then, Kia joined them, her tiny frame heaving with the effort of sprinting. Her eyes quickly went to the man on the ground, then to the one who put him there. The woman in black grinned sharply, laughing under her breath.

            “And there she is, the littlest heathen herself! Hold still now, or I’ll tighten the rope until he snaps.” Keeper put herself between Kia and her attacker, assuming a defensive stance.

            “Stay back, young one. We know not what she…”

            “ _Let go of him._ ” That voice ran up Keeper’s spine like the legs of an insect. She recognized it as Kia’s, but the innocent sweetness that marked it before was stripped away. Instead, it was hollow and harsh, wind blowing through the ribs of one long dead. “ _Stop hurting him._ ”

            “Oh shit, what the fuck!?” As the woman backed away in terror, Keeper felt a dark shadow fall over her. She spun around on her heels, but she could hardly recognize the girl behind her. Her robes parted, and from them, a creeping shade poured, blacker than a moonless night. It lifted her from the ground, the cloak that once enshrouded her now little more than a cowl and collar. Her face sat atop the creeping mass, the shadows about her eyes deepening. “Is this why they called her a demon?”

            “ _S t o p b r e a t h i n g ._ ” As Kia blotted out the sun over the field, the black growth beneath her began to take a shape. It twisted into jagged tendrils, the outermost four twisting until they seemed an amalgamation of a scythe and a spider’s legs. Their tips cut through dirt and stone, and they threw her forward, a flurry of uncountable, writhing limbs propelling her in a manner utterly inhuman. “ _D I E ._ ”

            “They can find someone else for this, damnit!” The woman threw her whip aside, bolting as quick as her legs could carry her, but it wasn’t enough. Kia caught her swiftly, barreling into her and pinning her to the ground with the bulk of her tendrils. Her legs pierced into the earth beside her head, letting Kia lean in closer, a serpent with prey in its coils.

            She opened her mouth, but instead of words, a horrible screech emerged. It was a noise of unknowable pitch, both high and low at once, and the two ends only grew further apart. Pierce grabbed the side of his head, trying to block out the ghastly scream from his sensitive ears, but it failed to dull the rattling of his bones. He felt like a glass about to shatter from sound alone. On the ground, the woman struggled against her captivity, desperation swelling as blood began to trickle from her nose.

            Then, the earth gave a horrible crack. Kia stood up in panic as the ground beneath her sank, but she wasn’t fast enough to escape. The maw of the world opened wide, and its black depths swallowed both girls whole. Keeper, fighting through the aching in her skull, ran to the edge, searching the bottomless pit for signs of either. Pierce, his ears still ringing, instead went to the one he hoped to have answers. He found the whip binding Echo to be too complexly woven to undo, so he instead took an arrow and began to saw through the cord.

            This was the first chance he had to get a memorable look at him. He was a towering man, likely a foot and some odd inches higher than either Pierce or Keeper. His cloak, emerald green, wrapped most of his body, the golden neck clasp shifted aside so only his gloved right arm could leave its confines. Strapped to his left with what appeared to be brown leather was a wooden lute whose strings were cut and frayed. He lacked the hood of his younger sister, but his thick, silver hair fulfilled the same purpose. Keeper joined Pierce’s efforts, tearing apart the weakened whip and helping pull the man to his feet.

            “Sir, who are you, and, more importantly, who is Kia?” He threw her a melancholic look, his amber eyes dulled. Without a word, he pulled from them, his instant shift from standstill to sprinting speed throwing them off. He leaped into the pit without a moment’s hesitation, leaving the two with naught but questions.

            “What’s going on around here?”

            “I do not know.” Keeper sheathed her sword, listening for the dull thud of Echo’s landing to gauge depth. “But it would reflect poorly on us to flee now.”

            “I hear you. Help me tie this whip back into one piece. Might be able to use it to rappel down.”


	2. Oaths on Ruin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party forms in full.

            The assassin’s abandoned whip was a lengthy instrument, and its durability easily supported Keeper and Pierce as they descended, but its reach had limits. When they reached its end, Pierce holding on by the whip’s handle, they noticed the stone around them was not of natural origin. Its composition was too pure, and they found lines that divided it into patterned squares. Such shapes did not occur without intelligent interception.

            Pierce tore a loose stone from the mass around them and dropped it. He had a count of ten before its landing met his ears. He rummaged in his quiver for two very particular arrows, retrieving two rods of steel from the bundles of wooden shafts and rock heads. He found their uses limited, their greater weight decreasing their range, but they had proven valuable climbing implements more than once.

            He passed one up to Keeper and chiseled his into the wall. He tugged its shaft about before releasing the whip, lowering himself and gripping a rough patch of rock before pulling the arrow from its post. Foot by foot, they descended into the depths of the pit, but their strategy soon hit a rough spot. The stone gave way to sheets of metal, something their impromptu climbing hooks were useless against. Pierce dropped another stone, and this time, it only took a count of three.

            Certain of his stability, he sheathed his arrow and let go, free falling the rest of the way. When he landed, rolling to lessen the impact, he was forced to cover his eyes by sudden bright light. Keeper’s voice echoed in from the hole he fell through.

            “Is it safe to follow?”

            “Just a sec, there’s a light source down here I wasn’t ready for.”

            “Who would light a flame this deep underground?” Pierce blinked the blindness from his eyes, instantly on guard for any monsters that might have called the underground their home. Instead, he found corridors that were decidedly human in make, even if he didn’t recognize the construction style. It all seemed to be fashioned from metal, a quantity any civilization of their era would struggle to collect. Set in the ceiling were panes of glass, and from them came a constant light that didn’t waver like that of a torch or candle.

            “Actually, it’s not fire. It looks like some sort of ancient tech.” He looked down at his feet, and he found the metal tiles beneath him deeply scarred. The wounds were fresh, seemingly inflicted by a multitude of individual strands, like burrowing serpents. It was a certain sign of Kia’s passing, and it led deeper into the tunnel. “Come on down, no monsters.”

            “Hardly a surprise.” Keeper dropped in, landing with a slight bend of her knees before treading forward as though it was a casual afternoon stroll. “One imagines the beasts of the upper Stratum would flee at the sight of a more imposing creature.”

            “That’s one way to put it.” His thoughts returned to the smiling face he had been more than happy to share his candy stash with. It seemed so distant from the screeching beast that tore a hole in the shell of the earth by voice alone.

            “Your eyes grow hazy. Do not let your heart cloud your actions.”

            “I know, but it’s not that. Kia was no less real as a little girl than when she was a raging monster. It wasn’t a facade, and I know you can tell, too. I’m trying to piece together how the two sides fit.”

            “Searching in your mind for an answer it does not have is like searching for sunlight after dusk. Our only hope is to chase dawn.” Keeper’s calm tone and steady breathing served as anchors for Pierce’s troubled mind, giving him a port to reel himself back into when his thoughts became hectic. He matched his breaths to hers, finding his center once more.

            “Thanks, Keeps. You always know what to say when I’m being a clod.”

            “I wasn’t aware you had another state of being.”

            “Argh, your insults burn me, milady.” Pierce swiped the tracks with the tips of his fingers. He brought the impromptu swab up to his nose, taking a deep whiff of the aroma. One part leather and blood, one part musty cloth, and, faintly, one part Spring flowers. He could pin each to a target, be it directly or by process of elimination. Soon, the scent trail became olfactible, and he followed it as closely as the physical tracks under his feet.

            “T’was no insult. A clod of earth is stable.” She spared a glance upwards. “In most cases. More so than the average human, at any rate. I know to which I would trust my safety first.” He smiled affectionately, keeping the bubbles in his chest to himself as he set about his duties with reaffirmed dedication.

 

-

 

            She heard that demon a short distance behind her. She took every turn in the corridor she could, hoping its hulking mass stunted its mobility. It was the one thing she still had over it. The pile of tentacles beneath it absorbed all forms of physical trauma effortlessly, and the constant ache in her skull made it clear who had greater offensive capabilities. She was fortunate it had become dazed upon impact, giving her a few precious moments to flee for her life.

            She turned a new corner, but she ground to a stop. Not ten feet away was a solid wall of pure metal, an unnavigable dead end. She cursed under her breath, turning to find a new route, but it was already to late. The light from the halls beyond were swallowed by the demon’s black underbelly, the only relief being the pale glow of its facsimile of a human face. It didn’t blink, didn’t twitch, didn’t even breathe. It only stared down at her as its writhing tentacles and skittering legs dragged the inhuman blob closer.

            The woman backed away, three steps for each of her pursuer’s one, but the pattern halted when she backed into the far wall. The demon, in contrast, refused to halt, and as it encroached close enough to smell, the fetid air of a sealed coffin, its maw stretched open, taking in air to unleash its cursed cry again.

            Then, a note rolled through the air. It was a medium string, no different to the woman’s ears than the practice strum at any roadside tavern. To the demon, though, it was a thing of even greater importance than the catalyst of its anger. Its mouth closed, and the focused rage in its eyes extinguished as it turned to regard the source of the song.

            The musician began in full, rising from the initial note in slow, precise measures. The melody was much like a lullaby, a tone meant to soothe the young into bed. To the stunned surprise of the woman, the demon wavered on its feet. Its tendrils gave way, collapsing beneath it and lowering it to the ground. Keeper and Pierce arrived in time to see the four massive legs recede, cracking and contorting as they folded back into Kia’s robes. Their eyes went to Echo, who played his lute in complete calm.

            “His music, it’s soothing her?” Keeper maintained some distance as she circled him. His broken strings were gone, replaced by threads like long blades of grass. Each pull on them released a note, their melody winding down, lower and slower. The last of the shade vanished, and before them, on shaking feet, was the small child they rescued from the woods. She blinked slowly, like she was waking from a deep slumber.

            “Brother Echo? Is that…?” She took a step forward, but she stumbled, her legs weak beneath her. Before she could fall, though, Echo blinked forward, kneeling down and catching her in his half formed lap. He wrapped part of his cloak around her, and she nuzzled into his chest. “So warm… I’m sorry, Brother. I just got so angry when she…” He placed his hand on the back of her head, gently stroking as he nodded in understanding. “Right, I’ll do better next time. I promise.” As Echo comforted his ward, his attacker saw her chance to extract herself. She attempted to slip past on the side he wasn’t looking, but the sound of a drawing bowstring stopped her.

            “You act like we’re just going to let an assassin get away.” She glared at the archer, briefly considering trying to break through him until the swords-woman brushed a hand over her hilt.

            “Damnit, what the Hell did I sign up for?”

            “That is what I would like to learn.” Keeper lifted her hand from her sword before turning her attention to Kia. The girl looked up from her brother’s hold, a quiet wariness dominating her mind. “Are you two unharmed? That was no short distance to fall.” Kia’s eyes widened, the fear pulling unexpectedly from her heart.

            “I… You aren’t attacking us? But you saw what I…” Echo’s hand slid down to her shoulder, his smile calming her nerves. Keeper nodded gratefully before answering.

            “To assume the truth is to lose it forever. That you’ve encountered enough who thought themselves its arbiters instead of its seekers is a tragedy, one for which you have my greatest condolences.” She bowed her head, closing her eyes in respect.

            “I’ve met real monsters in my day, the stuff of nightmares.” Pierce relieved the pressure on his bow, certain he had his captive cowed enough to prevent another escape attempt. “You raging to protect someone you love? Spooky, I’ll say, but it doesn’t crack the top ten. As a bit of a protector myself, I can see the humanity in your actions, even if I can’t in your methods. I’m more than willing to give you a shot at explaining yourself.”

            Kia stared at them, words lost to her. A smile crept over her face, and a green sleeve quickly made to wipe the tears from her eyes.

 

-

 

            Using spare wood from Pierce’s pack, they turned the dead end into an impromptu campsite, making a fireplace to gather around. Keeper and Pierce took the seat in front of the exit, granting them a position from which they could most efficiently quell both an escape and a strike from either of the other two parties. Kia sat on Echo’s crossed legs, wrapping herself up to the neck in his cloak. The attacker pressed herself against her corner, covering her back as she glared coldly at her captors. Pierce didn’t appreciate the unvoiced disdain.

            “How about we start with you, miss dominatrix? I’m curious what you’re doing in this neck of the woods, since most assassin guilds in the area have been disbanded by the local city heads.”

            “I’m not an assassin, you puffed up quail!” Her tongue was as sharp as her whip, and her nails proved their equal as they scratched thin lines in the metal floor. “And I’m not a dominatrix. I’m a proud Dark Hunter and bounty hunter, on a mission _from_ one of those city heads. Last I checked, there’s nothing wrong about making a living catching or killing outlaws.” Keeper’s expression was as even and unfeeling as her tone.

            “‘Wrong’ is a subjective term. As your prosecutors, we suggest you refrain from such phrases. You’ve enough to prove without counting on a shared terminology, miss…” Keeper rolled her hand, prompting her to fill in the blank.

            “Hera. Or Horrid Hera, to my contractors. And you want something hard to go off? I think the terms of my contract would do.” She reached behind her, wary of Pierce as his fingers pressed more firmly against the arrow he held. His grip relaxed as she showed a rolled up scroll. She flicked it forward, letting it unravel itself as she narrated from memory.

            “This contract thus binds the contractors, the estranged nobility of Gotham, and the contractee, Horrid Hera. The contractee agrees to bring before the noble court the head of the Demon of Gotham, it that brought ruin to our home…”

            “But I didn’t!” Kia practically spat the words, her eyes deepening briefly before she remembered herself. “I didn’t destroy Gotham. I wouldn’t, it was my home.” Hera snarled at the claim.

            “Then explain why these noble hogs are willing to turn their coffers inside out for your head. You expect me to think the en pinching royals would pay out the nose for a false positive?”

            “I don’t know! All I know is that I didn’t do it!”

            “Kia, calm yourself.” Keeper’s voice was a harsh note, one that made Kia recoil. “Your goal here is not to dissuade her, who has already accepted her conclusion. It is to convince us, who have nothing to cloud our judgment. Now, from the testimony thus far, I understand that a realm known as Gotham was destroyed, correct?” Kia nodded, taking a deep breath.

            “Yes, it was my home. I grew up there. Me, Mommy, Daddy. I loved it there.” She smiled warmly at the memories, but it faded as quickly as it came. “But then… I think it was attacked by something.” Hera scoffed from her corner, garnering a hateful eye from Echo.

            “Man, that’s some real solid explaining there. I think this, something else did it. If I had an en for all the half assed…” Keeper grabbed her sword, pulling an inch from its sheath.

            “We are the judges, not you. Be silent.”

            “What!? She has an outburst, she gets gently chided, but I do it and you draw your sword on me!?”

            “She did so in response to accusations. You act in antagonization. I believe the legal equivalent would be contempt of court. Unless she raises and accusation towards you in turn, I ask you remain silent.” Hera crossed her arms, reluctantly surrendering her stage. Keeper nodded at Kia to continue.

            “I know, I can’t say much. I forgot a lot of stuff about the attack. Just little bits and pieces left. But there was something else there. Big, grey. Just being near it made me feel weak. I remember being attacked, but after that, all I remember is waking up next to Brother Echo, and Gotham was gone.”

            “Gone? Just gone?”

            “Mmhm. A big hole where it used to be. Brother told me there was a bright light, and it destroyed everything. The only reason I’m still alive is because he saved me.”

            “I see. That’s why you’re so attached to him.” Pierce looked up at the man who loomed over him even while sitting. “Do you remember the monster any better?” Echo reached over to his lute, plucking a few, almost solemn notes. “Uh, that’s not an answer…” Kia put her hand over Echo’s, feeling the muscles in his hands as he plucked the strings.

            “He says that he doesn’t know what the monster was, or where the light came from. He can say that it was bigger than any other monster he saw before, and he spent a lot of time deep in Gotham’s labyrinth, so he’s seen lots.”

            “Musical communication. Interesting.” Keeper made a note to better observe his playing in the future. “Hera, can you confirm the presence of a labyrinth in Gotham?”

            “Yeah, there was one of those Yggdrasil Labyrinths there, too, just like this one. That's why the nobles weren’t in town when it was destroyed, supposedly, since they knew a monster could pop out at any time.” Keeper cast a sideways eye at her. Hera’s temperament cooled considerably, her attention firmly on Kia. “Come to think of it, why wouldn’t they think something from there did it first? The monsters down there are the stuff of legends.” Her eyebrows furrowed in thought. “That still doesn’t explain why you turn into a monster yourself. For all we know, you’re the beast you’re describing, and that brother of yours is keeping you on a leash.” Kia tilted her head at her, sensing the gradual shift in attitude, too.

            “It’s my hexing magic. Once I started being able to use it, Daddy trained me to control it, just like him. He was an explorer, and his guild loved having him. They said if I was half as good, I would have a job with them when I got older. But ever since the attack, it’s been acting weird.” She looked down at her own hands, gliding her thumbs over the tips of her fingers. “I can control it fine most of the time, but when I get angry… It’s like it’s alive. It gets hard to think straight, and I attack whatever made me mad. Maybe I am a monster…” Echo’s arm wrapped firmly around her, cradling her close. “But I can be normal. Echo’s been helping me control it better, and it’s worked really well. This is the first time I’ve done it in months.”

            “Dark magics can be hard to handle at the best of times.” Hera put her hand to her chin, eyes falling to the fire. “And if you were telling the truth, it sounds like this other monster was putting off some sort of poison that went to your head. It could be that exposure warped your magic, made it mimic it and blot out that chunk of your memory… Damnit.” She slammed her fist into her leg. “The more I think about it, the more I think it makes sense. Nobles being stupid and jumping on a wrong target, or, worse, making a scapegoat, is something that happens all the time. Hey, Cuts, you have a conclusion yet?” Keeper’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly, but she didn’t comment.

            “What young Kia has said is spoken in truths. The picture is incomplete, but in this matter, one can declare the motive of your contract null and void. You are the guilty party in this case.”

            “Thought so. Son of a…” Hera scooted out of her corner, standing on her knees before lowering her forehead to the floor at Kia’s feet. “Look, I’m proud of my work as a bounty hunter, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world, but this isn’t why. I didn’t sign up to kill an innocent kid.” She chucked the scroll firmly into the fire, waiting a moment as it consumed her orders to the last drop of ink. “Consider the hit cancelled, and if there’s anything I can do to make up for trying to kill you in the first place, I’ll do it.”

            “You’re… honest? I don’t know…” Kia stopped as Echo strummed a quiet note. “You think we can trust her with that?” Two strums, low then high. “Alright, I’ll ask. You said you take jobs all the time. Would you take one from us?”

            “Just say who, and I’ll bring them to you. However you want them.”

            “Actually, it’s a little different than that. It’s more like, bodyguard work.” Kia’s attention on the flame sharpened to a point of absolute focus, then her pupils expanded, a thin ring of violet forming where an iris should have been. “Ever since then, I’ve felt weird magics in the air. We followed the trail here, and it goes deeper into the Labyrinth. I don’t know what it is, but I get the feeling that it’s connected to what happened to me somehow. Maybe, if I find out what it is, maybe we can find a way to fix me.” Her gaze relaxed, her eyes closing halfway. “But the trail goes too deep for the two of us to follow alone. If we get help, maybe we’ll have a chance.”

            “It’s… not quite my kind of work, but… Hell, I said I’d do it, and I don’t go back on my word. I’m in.” Hera picked herself up off the floor, and Echo gave her a kindly smile and nod. Pierce’s eyes widened in surprise.

            “Hey, Keeps, doesn’t that sound…?”

            “Familiar, yes. Pardon, Kia, could you describe this magic?”

            “It’s kind of… heavy. And it feels wrong. Normal magic feels like running water. This stuff is slimy and crude.” Keeper’s smile widened with every word.

            “My, this must be fate.” She pulled a scroll from her robe, concealed just over her heart, and opened it. “Pierce and I came here to investigate strange magics as well. Our temple noted an evil presence in the air and sent us to root it out. We will be descending ourselves once we acquire the necessary permissions from Radha Hall.” Kia looked up at her hopefully.

            “You mean, you’re here for the same reason?”

            “Looks like it. And what do you know, we were thinking we’d need some help, too. What do you say, kid?” Pierce fished out another sucker, holding it towards her like a lure. “Want a few more hands to fill out your party?” Kia glanced up at Echo, and he answered only by accepting the candy and passing it to her.

            “Hehe, it’s like we’re a guild!” She licked the sucker, gauging its flavor before stuffing it fully into her mouth.

            “Working for a kid and a mute, alongside a couple of missionaries. And I thought the demon contract was weird.” Hera shook her head, groaning as she pushed herself to her feet. “Alright, we should get our asses moving. No telling what’ll be lurking about after dark, and I’m unarmed.”

            “Stay behind me, then.” Keeper rose to her feet, offering a hand to Pierce. “I was not anointed Keeper arbitrarily.” She was about to help Kia and Echo up, too, but they were already standing. “You are capable of hexing magic, correct?”

            “Yeah, but I used a lot of my strength when…” Kia’s thought trailed off, the implication clear. “But Brother’s music is magic, too! He can make people stronger, and even heal.” He played a short verse, the heavy notes sending a brief spike of power lancing through their muscles in demonstration. The unexpected wave took Pierce off guard, almost making him fall from the unfamiliar strength in his legs.

            “Whoa! Okay, gonna have to get used to that.”

            “That will serve excellently. You have my thanks in advance for your assistance, Sir Echo.” She bowed respectfully, and, a bit amused, he bowed back.

            “Oh sure, he gets the ‘Sir’ treatment from day one, but I’m still just Pierce.”

            “Official titles make your skin crawl.”

            “…Dang it, you’re right.”

            Kia found herself giggling openly, a feeling she had all but forgotten blooming in her chest. It was warm, like a hug to her heart. She liked it, even if she couldn’t remember what to call it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Making some kooks of my own to play with is exhilarating, both in the game and on this site. Kind of surprising, then, that there aren't a lot of Etrian Odyssey stories in this neck of the woods. Oh well, what can you do?
> 
> The answer is write. Obviously.


End file.
